You know those days that when you wake up you know are just not going to be good? I am having one. I have managed to pick fights with two people, get a massive headace, and gain weight. (only .2 pounds, but it's pretty awful considering all the healthy food I've been eating)

I'm trying to turn it around though. Amy has finally gotten a Wii, which means only good things.

what to do?

I am watching hours of Star Trek and grading papers...how is this any different from China? If I could only go out for a little 10:30pm street food it would be just about right.

I need a new job. Even though I can kind of get into it, I just don't like teaching enough to have it be the only thing I'm doing. I've applied for a study abroad position at another college in Indy, which would allow me to give up teaching one of my night classes and take a Chinese class for free.

If that doesn't work out, I'm talking to a school in Ukraine. If I have to teach, I might as well do it in an interesting location. Still wish I could go to Turkey, but every connection I've tried to make there has lead to a dead end. And I still have part of me that wants to study Chinese in Chengdu next semester.

Grad school is something I'm trying not to think about. I know in my head I want a masters degree..but it's very vague. I still don't exactly know what I want my masters in... sometimes I really want to work in education and think about getting a proper teaching licence, then I want to go into international studies... but nothing is screaming at me.... You Have To Do This!!

All I really know about myself is that I never want children, I like techno music, I want more tattoos, I want to go swimming and spelunking all the time, and I don't want to live someplace for more than ten years except for maybe someday when I will retire to Costa Rica and go scuba diving everyday and write trashy romance novels about people with names like Clarissa and Sebastian. Where does teaching reading come into all of this?

Biking and Job Hunting

I've really gotten into riding my bike. I've gotten up to riding about a half hour everyday, which is decent, but I want to get it up to at least an hour. It helps to have podcasts, otherwise I get bored about 10 mins into it. I'm going to try to 40 mins today.

The job hunt is still going. I've only gotten one interview, but it's in New York. I don't even know why I applied for the job. I would really love to pursue it, but the job doesn't pay enough to cover the cost of the move and I'm worried about doing the interview when I know I can't take the job. I don't want to burn bridges in the future.

I'm saving $2,000, and if I don't have another job by January, then I'm traveling for a month. I'm not working at ivy tech next semester, I just don't enjoy it. I wish I had enough to get back to China. I've been looking for work in Chengdu in the spring semester, but everyone who is willing to cover plane tickets also want a year of work.

My new favorite TV show is this show on the BBC, where a stern british lady yells at people for being fat. I love it.

Guitar Queer-o

For the past two days Guitar Hero has ruled my life. Yesterday I played it for three and a half hours without stopping. After, I took a bike ride to try and clear my head a little, but it didn't work. I had My Name is Jonas in my head for the rest of the day. Today it's been an endless loop of Cliffs of Dover. The really bad thing is that if I'm not playing it, then Amy or Amber is.. so the songs never stop. For some reason the game is impossible to put down.

Tomorrow the Broad Ripple farmer's market is open all morning, so I'm meeting up with a friend to browse around and stroll down the Monon Trail. We were going to bike it at first, but both decided it was entirely too much trouble to get our bikes down there. That's what I miss about China, there are bike lanes everywhere. Although I didn't ever really bike in China.... I'm really trying to be good about it now though.

Ditching the bad Attitude

I was surprised today to find that I actually, sort of, almost enjoyed teaching today. I have been sort of down on this class, first because I had to teach the moment I got back, and then because my students are all sort of dumb. But, today I realized that because they are so very dumb, they really need me and my class.

When explaining word roots today, I told them that ‘un’ in unstable meant ‘not’. Five students looked as though the little light bulb was going off over their heads. Apparently it was the first time someone had thought to share that information. One of these students was 38 years old. Another student wanted to know if it was okay if he highlighted things as he read, because there was so much to keep track of. I said that was a good idea and he looked really proud. (He was only 18 though, so we’ll forgive him his youth). Anyway, I thought to myself.. “self, these may not be the sweet and wonderful students that you have been with for the past couple of years, but they need you just as much…maybe more.” And I am back on liking teaching again and am preparing for my night class that will start in a couple of weeks.

Asia Mart Goodness

Amber and I were driving around today running errands and we found this Asian grocery store which maybe is my new favorite place in Castleton. When I walked in I had the same sort of feeling that I got the first time I walked into Sabrina's in Chengdu. There was so much stuff in there that I saw everyday in China and didn't much thought to but now that I'm back in the US I want all the time. I walked out with some Chinese noodles and a thing of mapo sauce so I'm excited to experiment.

Also, excited for tomorrow morning. It's going to be my second weigh-in at weight watchers and I'm curious to see if the crazy food journaling I've been doing is going to yield good results. I'm hoping I at least lost two pounds.

Talked to Xiao Zhao and Julien on skype today and got a little sad that we're so spread out, but then really excited that I have people to visit in such fun travel locations. I'm planning my first trip out of Indy next month. I'm going to New York and I'm hoping to have a few days of fun before I come back and continue the adventure of teaching the dumbest students in the world.

Game Night

I saw B.J. last night, one of the China 12's who lived in Guizhou. It was my first post-china encounter with someone who was there, and it was really good to see him...and of course our friends as well (we met up because his best friend is married to my good friend).

Kissler and I actually had big plans to hit up this dance club downtown, but when I arrived at her house, BJ and her husband Jon were downstairs playing Olympics on the Wii. Who can turn down a game of Wii Olympics? No One. I came in dead last in most events, but it was lots of fun anyway. I have the Olympic spirit!!!!
(yes, I watch you tube videos of athletics struggling to cross the finish line and I love them)

Also played: cranium and poker. A good game night I'd say, I had ton of fun. However, club next week for sure.

In other news I somehow got talked into picking up another class at Ivy Tech that starts on Monday. Well, that's not fair, no one talked me into it. They just said, "hey we need someone to teach this class...can you take it?" and still in my Peace Corps mindset I said yes. My other classes don't start until the middle of September, my little vacation just got killed.

I really don't mind it except that the class meets at the same time as the only real live Chinese Corner in the city. I was a little pissed about it for about an hour, but it doesn't matter. I'm still on a hunt for a Chinese tutor, hopefully once I find one they will know some other Chinese people I can practice with. Plus, I'm glad that I'll be getting a paycheck a couple weeks sooner. America is expensive!

One Week In

I've been back home for a week now, and things are starting to seem less hazy and weird. When I first arrived all I could think was ... "Things are so big/quiet/clean/expensive....get me out of here!!" I had a real moment of panic when I thought I needed to book a plane back to China as soon as possible, but now I'm calmer and think I might be able to make it until January.

Although I promised my Midgi sister that I would eat a bunch of American food and blog all about it, I don't know how much I'll be able to do. I spent the first week home eating and eating, and then I felt so sick that I joined weight watchers yesterday. My first goal is 15 pounds, wish me luck!

The ww meeting this morning was hilarious, a room full of old, overweight women coming up with different ways to create a butter taste without actually using butter and bitching about their overweight relatives. They all have frosted blond hair, wear the lightest clothing possible, and debate low fat cake at length. I don't know why, but I think I love them a little bit.... maybe because when things go wrong they, like me, eat a much as possible to try and convince themselves things will get better. Also, because they sort of remind me of a group of women playing majiang :)

Tonight I have meeting at Ivy Tech, the school I will be teaching at this fall. I'm teaching one section of reading and two sections of writing. Almost all night classes! Exciting. Actually, it's very good. I'll get the house to myself during the day, and Amy can have the house at night. It's a really good way to keep liking each other.